


Instinct

by CastleNation (Renalia)



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, HugJonSims2k19, Mostly friendship, Shipping if you squint real hard, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 19:44:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18667120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Renalia/pseuds/CastleNation
Summary: Martin stumbles across a sleeping Jon for the first time in a long time





	Instinct

Martin rarely sees anyone in the institute anymore. He isn’t sure if this is the Lukas factor or if he rarely saw people before but never noticed since the archive staff were always nearby. At any rate he certainly rarely sees the archive staff anymore. For that reason he is very surprised to round a corner and see one Jonathan Sims, sleeping slumped over a desk into a nest of statements and tapes. Martin was sure he’d spent more time sleeping on desks than on actual beds since taking the archiving job. One of many side effects Jon couldn’t have accounted for when taking it but nowhere near the most dangerous. Martin was frankly surprised that the archivist still needed to sleep. Peter never seemed to. He seemed to have something for Martin to do 24/7.

Old instincts itched at Martin. He wanted nothing more than to crouch down and wake up the uncomfortable man, at least if he slept in one of the archive cots his neck wouldn’t hurt as well as his back. But he was aware of the distance between them now. He no longer trailed after Jon picking up the pieces. He was trying to blaze ahead, stop the problems before they could break the archivist. Working for his greater good even if it meant that Martin didn’t get to enjoy the results.

Jon smiles more now. Not at Martin, but he had seen it in passing. Walking by unnoticed (as seemed to happen more and more these days) and seeing Jon deep in conversation with Daisy, a small smile turning up the corners of his mouth. He thinks he sees Jon in his dreams sometimes and he smiles at Martin then. But the thing that watches is not Jon. The shape is familiar, but the energy is wholly that of the archivist, the avatar in its purest form. No longer constrained by flesh and blood. 

He is snapped out of reverie as Jon calls out in his sleep, his fingers clenching at the papers on the desk. Before Martin could stop himself he had taken a knee next to the sleeping man and had grabbed a shoulder, shaking gently. The nightmare leaves Jon quickly, bleary eyes meeting Martin’s for but a moment before Martin is dragged into an awkwardly angled hug.

Martin can’t stop a surprised huff leaving his lungs as Jon wraps his arms tightly around his upper back. He straightens up slightly to return the hug, wrapping his own arms around Jon’s shoulders. He can feel the nightmare panicked breaths ghost across the hairs of his nape as Jon tucks his head into Martin’s neck. Martin nearly overbalances backwards as Jon slides off his chair, pushing it back so he can kneel on the floor and turn it into a proper hug.

He isn’t sure how long they stay there, Jon’s breathing slowing until it is even and steady and still, they stay there, both unwilling to be the first to pull away. 

Finally, atom by atom, they draw back. Martin keeps his eyes downcast as if eye contact would break the small moment of calm they had carved out here together on the dusty archive floor. Martin is acutely aware that he’s still loosely gripping Jon’s biceps, and Jon loosely cupping his elbows, unable to completely lose contact now they’ve crossed that barrier. 

 

“Is it going to be okay Martin?” Jon’s voice seems loud in the cramped room and startles Martin to look up, looking Jon in the eye.

“God I hope so.”

 

Jon seems satisfied with his answer, giving one last squeeze to Martin’s forearms before disentangling himself.

 

“I should probably-“ Jon cuts himself off, studying Martin on the floor. Martin hurries to unfreeze his limbs, brushing himself off as he stands again.

“I think I’m going to have a cup of tea, if you’d like to join me. You don’t have to of course; I know you probably have things to do for Lukas.”

 

Martin hesitates for a heartbeat, ready to refuse before noticing the corner of Jon’s lip curl slightly, a hopeful smile beginning. For the second time that evening his body betrays him before his mind can catch up.

 

“Sure, I have time for a cuppa. Is there any milk down here anymore?”

 

Jon lectures him on how they’re not completely incompetent as they walk together to the break room. Jon doesn’t even think twice about resting his hand on Martin’s forearm to get his attention as they huddle around the kettle, lazily needling Martin about how few cups of tea he’s drunk recently. A warm spark of contentment curls it’s way through his chest and Martin decides that from now on the greater good can fuck off for a night or so a week. He’s missed his friend.


End file.
